The good: The staff is very nice and helpful. Particularly the groundskeeper/horticulturalist,…read moreRobert, who described many of the bansai trees and their age, soil and process and care. The restrooms are very clean. Admission is reasonable at $10 per adult. No cash accepted. Plenty of walkable area and trails, many places to comfortably sit and enjoy this slice of nature. This was a pleasurable distraction from the busyness of the surrounding commercial area. There was also a nice covered area for observation of the koi pond and waterfall features, which would be great in a mild rain shower. The butterfly tent area sounds amazing, but we were too early for the season. The gardens are set up for educational purposes for children, which is nice. The bad: some areas are in desperate need for weeding, Robert said a large group of volunteers were coming out this weekend to help with weeding. There were many poison oak plants and poison ivy plants in some areas where kids might roam, especially, or adults too. The trails could be marked better, even though maps were available at the main admissions shop and a couple on property. Generally, this seemed newer rather than well established, but it is on its way to a nice gardens area and even now is a great spot to spend a couple of hours or more in nature!

The garden is very inviting. It's not very expensive to come and see all the beautiful plants that…read moregrow in Georgia. They have a waterfall upon a Koi Pond another Koi pond and just plenty of flowers and birds to just enjoy. as well as a butterfly house. They have plenty of programs for kids and adults live music throughout the year overall it's a very relaxing place nuzzled in the city of Marietta Kennesaw Mountain.

The owner was super nice and the animals were friendly. I love that it's a rescue farm! If you need…read morea place to just clear your mind, this is the place to be!

An absolutely wonderful surprise! Such a lovely little farm! My boyfriend is obsessed with alpacas…read moreand was able to live his dream of petting and feeding them. There were also two sweet large dogs, zeke and diesel and they really added to the magical experience! I even got to hold a chicken! Beautiful experience and you can tell the farm was created all for the joy of loving animals. The farm itself is free but you can purchase alpaca themed items in the gift shop! I bought an adorable toy and my boyfriend ordered some socks made with alpaca fur! We will absolutely be back I would recommend this experience to any animal lover.

We had such a great time here! The best part is that it's dog friendly so you can bring the pups!…read moreWe saw the farm animals, did the corn mazy, the hay ride and enjoyed taking lots of pictures. I would definitely come here again with friends and I totally recommend it. Great place for a family day or if you want to have a little photo shoot. We came here on a Sunday and it was great! The lake when you go on the hay ride is beautiful! Staff was very friendly and helpful! We bought lots of pumpkins.

Fun Fall Festival:) a great experience for a family with children. Great variety of pumpkins and…read morefun kids activities.

Visited today on a spectacular spring day (happened to be Earth Day.) The sky was so blue, the…read morebirds were singing, and the gardens were bursting with color. My favorite part of the gardens is the Japanese garden with its countless deep red Japanese maples, reflecting pools, shaded benches for contemplating the gardens' beauty. It's a beautiful place to take a stroll and have lunch in the shaded outdoor dining area next to the sandwich shed. Sandwiches are delicious, prepared by the fabulous Home Restaurant in the area. Make a day of it! Bring your book, have some lunch, and walk the gardens for a peaceful day out in nature.

There are plenty of parking spaces, you will see guides to lead your car to available spot…read more Currently tulips are off from its peak season, you can still see some, daffodils are in full bloom, also the azaleas are poised to burst forth at any moment. With weak or no cellular signal or Wi-Fi available within the gardens, visitors can pay full attention on admiring the beauty of nature. The gardens occupies total of 376 acres, featuring over 250 acres of landscaped gardens divided into several distinct sections: the Japanese Gardens, the Monet Waterlily Gardens, the Daffodil Gardens, and the Manor Gardens. The Japanese Gardens occupy a central position within the estate, covering 40 acres and featuring streams, ponds, miniature islands, small bridges, and Japanese maples. As one strolls through this section, one can deeply contemplate the core tenets of Japanese aesthetics: *Mono no aware* (物の哀れ the pathos of things), *Wabi-sabi* (侘寂 Wabi-austere beauty and sabi -rustic patina or beauty in aging), and *Yūgen* (幽玄 profound and mysterious grace and subtleness rather than obvious beauty. mystery). *Mono no aware* is certainly palpable here; the seasonal colors are vivid, yet most of the tulips have already faded. However, visitors do not see the withered blooms, as they are swiftly cleared away. This practice is, in fact, an authentic element of Japanese aesthetics--one that does not seek to deliberately pander to visitors. After all, imperfection and impermanence inevitably evoke a sense of melancholy, which lies at the very heart of Japanese aesthetic philosophy. As for *Wabi-sabi* and *Yūgen*, they are subtly woven into every detail of the landscape, inseparable from the whole. I could sense the garden's inherent simplicity and minimalism--its use of "negative space" and evocative atmosphere--such as the circular stone steps leading into the lake, only to come to an abrupt stop. Is it perhaps an example of the essence of sudden enlightenment found in Buddhist philosophy? Throughout the gardens, various Japanese-style shrines and stone lanterns are scattered everywhere, exuding that distinct aura of ethereal elegance and profound tranquility characteristic of traditional Japanese gardens. The floral plantings are meticulously designed to rotate with the changing seasons: spring brings a display of tulips and daffodils; summer features water lilies--specifically in the "Monet Water Lily Garden," which boasts 140 varieties of lilies and a replica of Monet's bridge; and autumn offers a vibrant tapestry of colorful foliage alongside sweeping fields of Sulfur Cosmos wildflowers. I visited the Butchart Gardens in Victoria over 30 years ago--a truly stunning garden that, at the time, was awash with tulips. In terms of sheer size, Gibbs Gardens is more than six times larger than Butchart Gardens.

Beautiful light show ran by amazing people for a great cause! Donations go to an animal rescue that…read moresaves and responsibly adopts them out to their forever homes! Stop by, tune in, enjoy the show, and donate!

This house displays the best Christmas light show for a house, each year. It has been an annual…read moreChristmas event for my family to come see this house for three years now. The house's display features precision synchronization, a dizzing array of "moving" lights and dramatic music stops. You can tune into the music on the FM radio (107.7) to enjoy the show. There is a red 'Snoopy' dog house tied into the display as the donation box for food, toys, and animal supplies along with blankets, towels and cleaning supplies to help supply the fosters for taking in the animals that have been rescued. (Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. It is a wonderful 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer-based organization dedicated to rescuing dogs and cats from high-kill shelters in Georgia.) They also have a mailbox attached to the roof of the doghouse to collect monies on their behalf.

This is a 2-day festival put on by the Service League of Cherokee County that is a fundraiser…read more There are over 100 artisans selling their wares and that is the main draw. When we arrived, there were multiple areas to park and the parking is free. We are already off to a good start. They also have golf cart shuttles that are free to take you to the front entrance. Admission was $5 per person and was either cash or card (there was a fee if you used a card). There is an ATM onsite for convenience. There are two main areas of artisans. The remaining sections include, the rides/games, food, and stage. The shows on the stage are free and the games/rides costs tickets, which can be purchased separately from the admission. There is also the playground that is park of the park that is free of course. The variety in food was decent, although there was not a ton of table space to eat at. Lastly, there is not a ton of shade here so beware on a sunny day. Our family had a great day!

Excellent spot for sightseeing. Great for adults; mildly ok for kids, as its light on interaction…read more Lovely, knowledgeable Docents waiting to share the story. Nice home, small for its era of plantation homes. It was nice seeing the true story of the impact of African Americans - without them there is no Roswell. Without black free labor there is no America in the way we see it now. Free labor fueled the wealth of many dynasties. A nice one hour or 1.5 hr is enough time to see everything. You may want to read up on the house and area before you arrive to ground you in the founding of Roswell. If you love antiques, there's tons to see! Lots of pics on wall. This specific founder wasn't ostentatious so its the opposite of gold, lavish, etc. Its humble wealth! They were devout Presbyterians who were conflicted on owning slaves; private/ secret abolitionist who taught their slaves to write. Telling other locals it was for God so his slaves could read the Bible. But truly it was so they had a skill and could be more than slaves! Remarkable! Fun visit. There are two more grand homes, larger, more lavish by 2 other Roswell early founders, about a mile away. So if you have more time, do it all in 2 to 3 hours. We sat on the porch for 30 min just rocking, nice chairs! We may not ever go back but it was worth seeing!

The city of Roswell has 3 preserved antebellum houses open for public tours. We stopped by all 3…read moreone Saturday afternoon in February. All are located within a 1/2-mile radius, and 2 are literally within about 200 yards of each other. Our third stop was at Smith Plantation. It is located close to the Roswell business / restaurant district, and is adjacent to the city hall (with which it shares a parking lot). Like the others, there is no fee here. We entered via the front door and interacted with the welcoming docent, who asked for our zip code and how we'd heard about the venue. You are then free to wander the house via whatever route you like. Most rooms have a sign with a 4-digit code. You call a phone number (the same one used at the other 2 houses) and enter successive codes as you proceed. For each code, there is an accompanying description of the room's historical context and of its furnishings. These mansions all seemed to follow the same basic floorplan - a central linear hallway with 2 or 3 rooms off each side and a staircase at the end. This home had been upgraded / modernized in the 1940s, so some parts have a different feel than the other 2 open homes. For instance, this one has a kitchen that is more relatable, and there is an actual master bath added upstairs. This also seemed to be the smallest of the 3 homes. There is a bit more information about the last people who lived in the house, as they were there until the 1980s. There are also a few outbuildings here. If you only had time to tour one house of the 3, I'd still begin with Bulloch Hall. However, this place was nice to visit if you have another 30 - 45 minutes.